First Annual Rat Powered Film Fest

Past Event at the Grand Central Art Center
11-15-02

1. Robin Dupuis

trt 01:20
Parachute: an audio and visual exploration of falling.

2. Peggy Wang
trt 02:07
Something Smells Like Fish: romance, action and …a cat?

3. Lauren Gabriele
trt 03:45
Pronouns: Video allows a glimpse into a personal, yet universal, experience by enabling the viewer to be an active participant within the world I inhabit.

4. Eduardo Villacis
trt 07:52
Cincompasion: a group of characters tries to avoid the ultimate challenge.

5. Robert Arieas
trt 02:40
Washroom Blues: Broke down, busted drunk time spinning loud Tecate and the blues somewhere in the neighborhood of the key of C.

6. Patrick Rea
trt 9:19
The Walls: a man begins to take an interest in decorating his apartment but discovers an interesting feature about his walls.

7. Jeannie Simms
trt 12:30
Home: Approximately 20 artists were asked to contribute 30 seconds of video on the concept of “Home.” This is a compilation of their videos, which I solicited and compiled into one program.

8. Richard Mansfield
trt 00:45 - Hair Brain Net
We always suspected those hair nets were holding back more than hair.

9. Matt Frantz
trt 00:45
I hate computers: putting you faith in technology alone will cause you to fail.

10. Chie Yamayoshi
trt 01:30
My Mind’s Eye is an experimental work that deals with the exploration of the multiple personality and portrays the journey of the self-awakening in the subconscious mind.

11. Claudette Lemay
trt 03:02
Rentre chez toi 2: in the second part of the series, the character watches, or lets herself be carried by the ferment, sometimes interior, sometimes exterior.

12. Richard Littlefield
trt 07:00
The Three Faces of RL: Clips from 4 videos/performances/sequences edited together to create a new composition. Text has been superimposed over the imagery to create an experimental combination of imagery, text and audio.

13. Debra Granik
trt 25:00
Side by Side: Reuniting for their father’s funeral, Bob, newly sober, and his two estranged brothers navigate the lonely American way of death and discover some of the old mans secrets. In the process, Bob tries to reconnect with his alienated teenage daughter.

14. Jason Arsenault
trt 03:40
Angor: central to his approach is the experience of image and sound through the role and the function of a new spectator.

15. Betsy Lohrer Hall
The Unexpected Visit,trt 01:41
A humorous little musing,

Foreign Relations, trt 03:48
A look at relationships...between two nations... a parent and child... a human being and his not-so-distant kin.

 

Spotlight on Local Filmmakers: Michael Dean and Dermott Petty

Past Events at the Grand Central Art Center

10-11-02

Michael W. Dean
D.I.Y. OR DIE: HOW TO SURVIVE AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST
2002, Un-rated, 55 Minutes,

"D.I.Y. or DIE" is a 55-minute documentary depicting the methods and motivations of independent American artists in various genres and mediums- a celebration of the Underdog. A collection of portraits and profiles from a fascinating group of underground icons and overlooked unknowns working in various media including print, film, graphic art, performance art, and music. The two-dozen interviewees are all true mavericks that operate outside of any "studio system", are beholden to no one, and produce influential and quality art regardless of a continuous paycheck.

CRITERIA
Our basic requirement for inclusion is that all subjects meet at least
three of the following:
1. They do something very unique.
2. They've influenced many
people in their respective medium.
3. They make a living at art.
4. They impress the heck out of us.

UNIQUE FACTOR
A main difference between this and other arts documentaries is that the people included are given face time based on what they say rather than who they are. The unknowns are given equal weight with the famous interviewees.Everyone shouts from an equal ground.

Dermott Petty
Paddy Takes A Meeting
Orange County Writer/Director Inspired By Real Life Experiences
IRVINE, Calif. – Independent film writer and director Dermott Petty has released his newest short film, “Paddy Takes a Meeting.” Inspired by Petty’s various real life experiences with movie-making moguls, “Paddy Takes a Meeting” combines the nuances of the entertainment industry with the historical significance of the epic war of 11th Century Ireland against Viking invaders. The result is a comedic and satirical blend of filmmaking, which cleverly reveals the lack of relevance that Hollywood and the corporate world attribute to small nations such as Ireland.

‘Paddy Takes a Meeting’ is a story of an aspiring screenwriter’s dream being decided, and then tragically manipulated, all in the span of the most important 10-minute meeting of his life," said Petty. "Although our protagonist Paddy McNulty is confident with his script, he trepidly goes into a meeting industry bigwig B.P Mogul. What follows are Mogul’s twisted interpretations and misunderstanding of history, taking viewers through everything from Celtic Kung Fu to an Irish Nazi regime.?

Petty and his production crew represent a ragged bunch of individuals committed to making Orange County a hotbed of film-making. That isn’t to say that "Paddy Takes a Meeting" didn’t pose some unique filmmaking challenges.

"One of the first difficulties we encountered was trying to scout a location in Southern California that resembled Ireland,? explained Petty. ?In Ireland it rains quite a bit and is rather green. In Orange County the sun shines all the time and the terrain lacks the green lushness of Ireland.? Ironically, after an extensive search, the ideal shooting location materialized in Petty’s own back yard?literally less than a thousand yards from his apartment in Costa Mesa.

Finding authentic medieval Irish costumes added another layer of difficulty. This problem appeared to solved…at least up until the last minute when the contracted designer clearly missed the mark. “Fortunately, Orange County has quite a few Halloween costume stores,” recalls Petty.

Born and raised in Ireland, writer/director Petty moved to the U.S. in the early 1980s. In 1998 he won a Dramalogue Award for his stage direction of “The Midnight Court.” He has produced a television pilot detailing his early experiences as an emigrant titled “Dot Ave,” and a documentary about traditional Irish Ceili dancing called “A Gathering.” He most recently was a recipient of a grant from the renowned Irish Film Board for his script, “The Prodigal Dancer.”